Take II

So in exciting news, I am leaving Shreveport, Louisiana for a second time. Larry is being sent to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for his next assignment. I suppose I’ll go with him. Twist my arm. The notification came down rather quickly to the move date, so I am in a bit of a free fall; like a cat – I’m trying to instinctively go with the flow and land on my feet. It’s working so far. I’m moving after the semester ends at LSUS.

By the way, I finish all my coursework for my MS in Counseling this fall. I’m currently interning at the VA Hospital here in town. It is an absolutely joy to work with these veterans. I’ve been working in the Vocational Rehabilitation program on my first rotation: I have an interest in career counseling and wanted to be involved in a little social work to groom myself for a career at the VA or military bases. The veterans I work with are fabulous and I can’t say enough about how great the people are: just like being in the military. Sure, you don’t always get the funding or first rate resources, but you make do and you’re in it together. It’s the people that make it worth doing. I’ve been leading a group since my second or third week there; the feedback I’ve heard through the grapevine is that the guys say I “treat them as an equal,” “don’t talk down to them,” and “make you forget that your problems may seem hopeless.” They call me “Captain.” That nickname is fine with me! I’m going to really miss these guys when I leave. Man. To finish my last semester of internship in the spring, I’ll be transferring to the Tripler VA Hospital on O’ahu, so it shouldn’t be too much of an upheaval. Then I’m graduating May 2018!

But if I want to move to Hawaii I have to work for it. I’m taking 15 credit hours of master’s work, including internship and finishing my thesis, I will need to take my Comprehensive exam for Counseling, pack up my house and move, and secure the dog’s passage to Hawaii. I’m scared to ask what else might pop up.

Earlier this month I went to Washington, D.C. and was a student aide for the American Psychological Association’s annual conference. I love networking, and even met a woman attending from O’ahu: she was 74 and just finished her second Ph.D. #Goals. You never know who you will meet! Let’s be real: Larry and I visited D.C. so we could see the Game of Thrones pop up bar. It was crowded, lively, and the drinks were awesome. I’m not sure the Lannister theme song really gets the mood shaking though. A little macabre.

Hey, if nothing else, my Instagram is gonna be fire in Hawaii. Can’t wait to scuba dive and bike and hike and all those things I did in Guam. Larry insists Hawaii is prettier; I insist Guam has its own dirty, yet charming appeal.

There are so many more things I’d like to chirp about, but I am heading out to hang out with my boyfriends at the Veterans Home and play some jazz. Life is good and I have much to be thankful for. People are what make my life worth mentioning.